W100 Ida Keeling gets world’s attention with 100 WR at Penn

It was near 100 degrees last September when Don Pellmann crushed the M100 WR in the 100-meter dash at the San Diego Senior Games. He had a dozen fans in the stands and several dozen watching from the infield. Flash forward to Saturday at the Penn Relays. Temps in the low 60s and Ida Keeling in Lane 3. With a standing start, and a wobbly gait (followed at first by an irksome camera crew), 100-year-old Ida manages to stay in her lane and finish 100 in 1:17.33. (But it’s not a “new world record,” since we never had an old one.) She became the first woman on earth to record a time at her age (two weeks short of 101). Oh, and her race into her daughter’s arms was witnessed by 44,469 people. Also, world media. (And social media, where Ida has her own FB page.) In coming days, more people will post video of the historic race. But here are some of my favorite clips. Check out this one, and then this one.

But don’t overlook the incredible M80 race by Bobby Whilden, whose 100 in 14.47 into a slight wind in cool temps was just off Payton Jordan’s legendary WR of 14.35 at Modesto in 1997. And Allen Woodard at 47 ran a 400 relay leg in an astounding 48.41.

Ida was Queen for the Day, however. Here’s her whole race: